Washington just had a new crypto headache. Two U.S. senators are pushing Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to open an urgent national security investigation into a $500 million foreign investment in World Liberty Financial.
This is where it gets tense. The money comes from a UAE-backed investment vehicle and would give foreign players a 49% stake in the Trump-linked crypto firm. It’s a big slice.
The timing makes it even more explosive. All of this emerged just days after the inauguration, raising concerns about who might have access to sensitive financial or user data.
Key takeaways
- Senators Elizabeth Warren and Andy Kim have formally requested a CFIUS investigation into a UAE-backed vehicle that purchased 49% of WLFI.
- The $500 million deal would have funneled $187 million directly to entities linked to the Trump family, raising conflict of interest flags.
- Lawmakers say the structure gives foreign actors dangerous leverage over a company collecting sensitive U.S. financial data.
The agreement and the threat
In a letter sent Friday, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Andy Kim asked Treasury to confirm whether CFIUS had even been alerted to the deal.
The transaction would give a UAE-backed investment vehicle nearly 49% of World Liberty Financial, the DeFi project widely promoted by the Trump family. This is not a minor issue.
Reports link the funding to Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE’s national security adviser. In the event of finalization, the foreign fund becomes the main shareholder overnight.
And this is happening as Trump-affiliated companies expand deeper into crypto, putting everything in the spotlight.
The real tension is about influence. A $500 million stake is not passive money. This can mean access, exploitation and potentially sensitive internal data. For a project tied to a sitting president’s family, the optics alone are enough to ignite a political fire.
National security red flags
The problem is not limited to the $500 million. It’s the data.
The senators pointed out that WLFI’s privacy policy admits to the collection of wallet addresses, device identifiers and even approximate location data. If a foreign-backed fund gains influence over a company with this type of financial information, it raises serious national security concerns.
The letter also references executives linked to G42, a technology company that has faced U.S. scrutiny over its alleged ties to China.
General manager
family — BIG ANNOUNCEMENT! Watch what our co-founder @DonaldJTrumpJr has to say about the World Liberty Forum. pic.twitter.com/rkTocmlkem
– WLFI (@worldlibertyfi) January 20, 2026
family — BIG ANNOUNCEMENT! Watch what our co-founder Warren and Kim want confirmation by March 5 whether a formal review is underway. As Treasury pushes for clearer crypto rules, ignoring a potential security breach tied to presidential business interests could turn into a political firestorm.
All of this is happening as the broader Trump-linked crypto network continues to expand. Reports suggest that around $187 million from the deal would go to entities linked to the Trump family, making things even more complicated.
Will the deal go through?
If CFIUS intervenes, it could get serious. The committee has the power to unwind agreements retroactively, particularly if cybersecurity or national security risks are involved. High-profile foreign investments with political ties rarely escape scrutiny.
As crypto increasingly intersects with federal oversight, headlines like this can move markets quickly. If the Treasury confirms an active review, expect a spike in volatility.
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